Comfort in a bowl: Kaali Daal and Jeera Chawal

This comes really, really close to comfort in a bowl......nothing sounds better on a lazy evening than a bowl of Daal-Chawal, a staple in many Indian homes, I'd say!

Here is a very simple, but a delicious recipe:

You will need:
1 cup of whole urad ( Black Urad)
2-3 tbsp of rajma ( Kidney Beans)

1 jalapeno- chopped
1 red onion- sliced
2-3 garlic cloves
1 knob of ginger-

make a paste of the ginger & garlic.

2 Large tomatoes- chopped or use 1/2 cup tomato sauce ( to your taste)

2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp of oil
1 tbsp cream (optional) Or Milk
2 pinches of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Method:
- Soak the Urad and Kidney beans (rajma) overnight or at least for 10 hours.
- Cook them separately in a pressure cooker.
- In a pan heat 2 tsp of oil and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida.
- As the seeds begin to pop around, add in the jalapeno,the onions, and the ginger-garlic paste. After 2 mins, add the tomatoes or the sauce. Stir until the oil leaves the sides of the pan.
- Add in the dal and beans with enough water to keep the consistency thick.
- Add salt, turmeric powder, 1 tsp chilli powder, coriander powder and roasted cumin powder.
- Add the garam masala and the cardamom powder along with the cream or milk. Stir well.

Simmer for as long as you can, either on low heat or in the slow cooker, your choice. The taste is worth the wait! Serve hot with Jeera rice or plain rice.

Jeera Chawal:

This is so easy.....but here's the recipe for the newbie cooks out there!

1 cup- your favorite Basmati rice
1 tsp- Ghee
1 tsp- Cumin Seeds
Salt to taste

Soak the rice for at least an hour. In a pan, heat the ghee and add the cumin seeds. When it pops, add the rice and salt, stir. Add around 2.5 cups of water and cook. When the rice is done, drain the rice along with the water and pour some cold water over it to get it really nice and fluffy. Serve with daal.